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Loyola is First to Implant a Defibrillator that Calls the Doctor

Mari Anne La Fleur, 39 of Wheaton, Ill., had no idea anything was wrong with her heart until a couple years ago when her brother was diagnosed with Brugada syndrome, a condition that affects the electrical activity of the heart causing it to spontaneously lapse into an abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia). Brugada syndrome is inherited, and can be life threatening. So following her brother’s diagnosis, La Fleur’s entire family was tested. She and her father were found to share the syndrome, while her sister and children do not.

La Fleur had sporadically experienced symptoms of an arrhythmia since she was 30, but she did not know what it was. Typical symptoms include light-headedness, dizziness, a feeling of not getting enough oxygen, and a rapid heartbeat.

Last summer La Fleur was scheduled to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) surgically implanted next to her heart by Niraj Varma, MD, director of the Electrophysiology Laboratories at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). An ICD shocks the heart back into a healthy rhythm if it detects an abnormal heartbeat. The timing of La Fleur’s surgery was fortuitous, as the FDA had recently approved a new defibrillator with the capability to signal the physician via wireless satellite transmission. La Fleur made medical history as the first patient in the United States to receive the ingenious device.

The new ICD from Biotronik® can automatically notify the doctor by cell phone, page, fax or e-mail if the patient’s heart beats abnormally or if the device malfunctions for any reason, such as battery failure. A built-in microchip sends the satellite signal via a small transmitter that can be placed on the patient’s nightstand, worn on a belt, or kept in a purse. Virtually instantaneously, a beat-by-beat record of any heart rhythm abnormality can be viewed by the physician on a secure website.

“The patient does not have to press any button or call the doctor to activate the system,” said Dr. Varma. “The notification is automatically generated even if the patient is unaware of a problem.

“With this surveillance system, physicians for the first time have a way to monitor non-hospitalized patients 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week,” Dr. Varma said. “It will enable us to identify problems early on as well as help prevent problems.” Dr. Varma recognized the need for such a technology and has been involved for several years in its development.

“Our physicians’ commitment to innovation remains strong,” said Anthony L. Barbato, MD, president and CEO, LUHS. “After thousands of heart failure patients nationwide were startled to learn earlier this year that their implanted defibrillators were being recalled because of potential battery failure, Loyola’s cardiac electrophysiology team answered the call by being the first in the United States to implant a defibrillator device that sends an alert to the doctor when the heartbeat becomes irregular or the device malfunctions.”

As an added convenience, patients with the new ICD require only an annual exam if there are no problems – far less follow up than with a standard ICD.

A mother of two, La Fleur said the device gives her peace of mind. She does not have to wonder any more about whether an arrhythmia will send her into a cardiac arrest, and she is confident that Brugada syndrome will not take her life.

As an added bonus, her experience gives her an interesting topic to share with her students at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville, Ill., where she is a seventh-grade science teacher.

To make an appointment with an electrophysiologist at Loyola, call (708) 216-8563. To find a facility in your area or a specialist, visit the Locations & Maps or Choose a Doctor areas of our web site.